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Ear
Infections Ear infection or otitis media accounts for over 35% of all pediatrician visits in the United States. Antibiotics, the usual treatment, are not always effective and may even lead to a recurrence of ear infections. Many children are dealing with a continuing cycle of repeat ear infections, which lands them back at the pediatrician for more antibiotics. For nearly 100 years, the chiropractic profession has claimed that ear and other upper respiratory infections respond favorably to chiropractic adjustments, though there has been little research done to support this claim. A promising study published in the Journal of Clinical
Chiropractic Pediatrics now indicates that there is a strong correlation
between chiropractic adjustments and the resolution of ear infections.
332 children with chronic ear infections participated in the study.
Each child, ranging in age from 27 days to 5 years, was given a series
of chiropractic adjustments. The results show that close to 80% of the
children did not experience another ear infection within the six-month
period following their initial visits. The six-month period included
maintenance treatments every four to six weeks. Joan M. Fallon, D.C.,
the author of the study and the chiropractor who treated the children
in the study, states that this pilot study can serve as a starting point
from which the chiropractic profession can begin to examine its role
in the treatment of children with chronic ear infections. She asserts
that large-scale clinical trials need to be undertaken in the field.
Ear
Infections: Antibiotics Not Necessary Results of the study were dramatic. Parent satisfaction was equal in the two groups at both 12 days and 30 days after treatment. No difference was observed between the two groups in days of work or school missed, visits to doctors' offices or emergency rooms, or number of phone calls. There was no difference in the recurrence rate by day 30, and no difference in the clinical examination of the children's eardrums at day 30. This study should finally prove that antibiotics are not necessary or beneficial in the management of nonsevere ear infections. Even when no treatment was utilized there was no significant difference in outcome. (from Holistic Pediatric Association)
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Ear
pain is the number one reason for child visits to chiropractors. Many
chiropractors believe that there is a strong link between the birthing
process and recurrent ear infection, also known as otitis media. During
the birthing process, cervical (neck) vertebrae can become misaligned,
disrupting nerve function, which can affect the eustachian tube. This
may lead to fluid buildup in the middle ear and cause otitis media.
A
landmark study published in Pediatrics has shown that treating ear infections
with antibiotics has no benefit when compared to doing nothing (McCormick
2005). In this study 223 children were divided into two groups. One
group received antibiotics, the other group received only medicines
for symptom relief. The study sought to evaluate several outcomes including
(1) parent satisfaction with their child's care, (2) resolution of symptoms,
and (3) failure and recurrence rate. The study was limited to nonsevere
ear infections. The severity was determined by parents' perception of
the severity and by examination of the eardrum.